The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has disclosed that improved efficiency at the nation’s seaports spurred a 19.6 per cent growth in non-oil exports during the first half of 2025.
Dantsoho made the announcement in a statement on Tuesday while presenting a paper titled “Optimising Nigeria’s Port Infrastructure, Enhancing Trade Facilitation and Global Competitiveness” at the ongoing United Nations General Assembly.
According to him, the NPA is committed to building a globally competitive port system designed to strengthen trade facilitation, attract foreign direct investment, and boost investor confidence in Nigeria’s economic future.
“Seaports’ efficiency has contributed to a 19.6 per cent growth in non-oil exports in the first half of 2025,” Dantsoho stated. “We are building a globally competitive port system that will strengthen trade facilitation, attract FDI, and boost investor confidence.”
The NPA boss revealed that the Port Community System, a digital collaborative platform linking stakeholders, data, and transactions, will be launched by the first quarter of 2026. He added that the authority has deployed smart digitalisation tools across its operations to achieve leaner, greener, and more efficient processes.
Among the reforms already underway are paperless transactions, an electronic barrier system at Lagos Port Complex terminals integrated with the Eto Electronic Call-Up System, e-tag verification, joint boarding applications, and electronic send systems — all aimed at reducing cargo dwell and turnaround times.
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Highlighting the NPA’s commitment to sustainability, Dantsoho said the authority is expanding intermodal transport options to reduce reliance on road haulage and lower emissions. He disclosed that automation of barge, truck, and rail applications is in progress, alongside a shore-to-ship emission reduction project starting at Lekki Port.
He further noted that the NPA is modernising maritime infrastructure, commissioning new tugboats and marine crafts to support operations at Lekki Deep Seaport, the Dangote Refinery, and the Dangote Fertiliser Plant.
“The Lekki Port, with its capacity to handle super post-panamax vessels, is a game-changer for Nigeria’s export competitiveness,” he said, adding that the NPA remains committed to streamlining approvals and enhancing government revenue through a collaborative one-stop-shop system for crude oil exports and payments.